Topband: 3B9C report

["3B9C" <fsdxa.cottonb@intnet.mu>(by way of w4zv@contesting.com)]

Bill

Thought it might be useful to give a topband update from 3B9C. I wonder if 
you would be kind enough to copy to the Reflector.

73 Don G3XTT

+++++++

Hello from Rodrigues. We have seen some of the comments on this Reflector 
and have also been receiving e-mails directly from the topband community 
(you can e-mail us at <mailto:deserving@3b9c.com>deserving@3b9c.com but 
don't expect a personal reply, as we are too busy working the pile-ups!). 
The consensus seems to be that things are going well. Let us tell you the 
story from this end.

Firstly, the stats. We now have over 900 QSOs in the 160m log (879 on CW, 
24 on SSB), broken down as follows: AF 9; AS 193; EU 533; NA 155; OC 8; SA 
5. The DXCC count is 68. At our sunset, best DX so far is KH6, though we 
continue to look daily for a West Coast opening (this is a consistent 
feature on both 40 and 80 at this time). At our sunrise, we have seen a 
couple of days of mid-West openings, and Don G3XTT was delighted this 
morning to have a greyline opening to W7 (two stations in Arizona and W7NQ 
who we believe to be in Oregon?). NI6T, who was on the 3B9R trip (about 
half a sunspot cycle ago), confirms that they were never able to work this 
far into the USA. The JA path is consistent every evening. The openings 
have varied considerably. A couple of evenings back the LF operators (80 
and 160) closed down as a tropical storm passed, with high QRN and zero 
signals heard. In contrast, last night (Wednesday night/Thursday morning 
our time) European signals started weak but peaked around midnight GMT with 
many S9+ signals. We were also pleased to be able to work some SSB with 
good signals (OH1MA, the first SSB QSO, was 20 over S9).
Antennas are a Titanex (87ft) close to the beach, plus JA and EU/NA 
Beverages, and a set of K9AY loops.
The team will be here for another two and half weeks, so we expect the 
totals to keep rising. We look forward to giving many of you a 3B9 QSO on 160.

73 Don G3XTT, Mike G3SED and the 3B9C gang.

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